DMDK members come to blows with rebel MLA, evicted from TN assembly

Feb 8, 2013, 01.09PM ISTPTI

CHENNAI: Opposition DMDK members were evicted en masse from the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday after they came to blows with a rebel MLA, who had last year called on Chief Minister Jayalalithaa much to the chagrin of the party leadership.

The problem started when Thittakudi MLA Tamilazhagan, who is one of the four dissident DMDK MLAs who had met Jayalalithaa, made some remarks during question hour which provoked the main opposition party benches leading to noisy scenes.

In the melee, another rebel MLA Michael Rayappan was heckled and pushed by the other DMDK MLAs who surrounded him, leading to some of them coming to blows with him.

Speaker P Dhanapal summoned the marshals and ordered their eviction. He also condemned the unruly behaviour of DMDK MLAs who engaged in fisticuffs.

Besides Rayappan and Tamilazhagan, two other DMDK MLAs Arun Pandiyan and Sunderajan had met Jayalalithaa last year seeking assistance for implementing welfare projects in their constituencies which had upset the party leadership.

It is not an accepted practice in Tamil Nadu politics for members of a particular party to call on the head of a rival outfit.